The government plans to provide permanent housing through 1,560 residential flats for July warriors who were severely injured and lost their working ability during the 2024 anti-discrimination movement.
The Ministry of Housing and Public Works has submitted a Tk 13.44 billion project proposal to the Planning Commission to construct 15 buildings, each with 14 floors and separate basement spaces.
Subject to final approval from the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC), the National Housing Authority aims to complete the buildings by June 2029 on its 833-katha land near Mirpur DOHS in Mirpur Section-9, Dhaka.
The proposal reveals that the cost of each flat, averaging 1,320 square feet (sq ft), is estimated at Tk 8.62 million, rising to Tk 11.02 million when including the land value of Tk 3.74 billion. The construction cost per square foot is estimated at Tk 8,350, significantly higher than the current market rate.
Officials said the Physical Infrastructure Division of the Planning Commission held a Project Evaluation Committee (PEC) meeting to review the Ministry of Housing's proposal and decided to place it before ECNEC for final approval, subject to compliance with certain recommendations.
The ministry has since resubmitted the revised proposal for further processing.
However, officials anticipate that the project may face approval delays, as a previous Tk 7.61 billion "36 July Flats Construction" scheme for martyrs' families failed to secure last-minute ECNEC clearance.
Planning Adviser Dr Wahiduddin Mahmud said the project could be resubmitted after reviewing costs, rationale, modalities, and other components to prepare a revised, coordinated proposal.
According to official documents, the objective of the newly proposed project is to honour the sacrifice of those permanently disabled in the student movement by ensuring quality, permanent housing for their families, helping them return to normal life.
Each building will have a basement plus 14 floors, with eight flats per floor. The size of each flat has been set at around 1,320 sq ft, revised from an earlier plan of 1,000 sq ft.
Facilities will include car parking on basement and ground floors, lifts, sub-station, generator, solar system, and fire hydrant. The project will also feature community amenities such as schools, a mosque, playground, green spaces, and internal roads.
The site is located within 1.0 km of Mirpur DOHS, 1.5 km from Mirpur-11 metro station, and about 4.0 km from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport. The area is well connected to major parts of the city via the Kalshi flyover and a 120-feet wide road, making it suitable for a planned housing project.
An estimated 1,560 families -- around 10,000 individuals -- will directly benefit from the project, while many low-income residents are expected to benefit indirectly.
During the ECNEC meeting on July 27, the housing project for July uprising martyrs' families was reviewed but not approved.
The cabinet secretary noted that 804 flats were planned for 834 martyrs and stressed verifying similar projects for other freedom fighters.
Planning Adviser Wahiduddin Mahmud flagged succession and transfer issues that could complicate implementation, while the housing secretary suggested coordinating with the July Uprising Directorate and allowing deferred handovers if needed.
The finance adviser noted inconsistencies in component-wise costs, urging rationalisation and strict transparency.
Officials and the implementing agency recommended revising the project and resubmitting it to ECNEC.
Chief Adviser Prof Dr Muhammad Yunus emphasised managing the scheme under a coordinated policy, clearly defining allocation, succession, and inheritance matters before approval.
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